


The Gray Son Belongs To Me

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [77]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Court of Owls, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Possessive Slade Wilson, Protective Slade Wilson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26702842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson
Summary: “You have something we want.”“So I’ve heard. Unfortunately, I have no intentions of sharing him.”“The Gray Son belongs to us.”“The Gray Son belongs to no one.”
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson
Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [77]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1323779
Comments: 18
Kudos: 255





	The Gray Son Belongs To Me

Slade looked up as Dick stormed into the apartment. “I’m going to kill him,” the acrobat declared.

The mercenary regarded him with a cool expression. “I’ll help,” he offered before he asked, “Kill who?”

“Bruce.”

Slade raised an eyebrow. “I see.”

His less than interested reply seemed to draw Dick slightly out of his anger because the acrobat stilled, a small smile on his face as he asked,

“What, not going to help kill Bruce?”

“On the contrary, little bird,” Slade replied, pleased Dick wasn’t still anger-blind. “I’ve wanted him dead since the first night I met you. But I fear my ‘helping’ may just turn into me committing the deed before you can.”

Dick rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he walked over to take a seat on the couch next to Slade, his anger seemingly forgotten in the moment.

“Bruce would have a field day if he heard you say that.”

“Wayne has a field day whenever I say anything.”

Dick chuckled. “You’re not wrong. He hates you.”

“And I enjoy every second of that.” Slade shifted to better give Dick his attention, eye trailing over the bruise on his husband’s cheek. “What happened?”

Wrong thing to ask, the acrobat’s eyes were filled with anger and he pulled away. “Just Bruce being Bruce,” he snapped. “Keeping shit from me about my own fucking family.”

Slade hummed. “I’m sorry,” he said because what else was there for him to say? “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Do I look like I want to talk about it?”

“I was simply offering.”

Dick sighed, slumping against Slade. “Sorry,” he mumbled into the mercenary’s shoulder. “Just…”

Slade let the silence fall between them for a few moments before gently murmuring,

“You don’t ever have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I think it would be good to get it out to somebody. Even if it’s just in a notebook or journal somewhere private.”

Dick made a quiet noise in the back of his throat. “I do want to tell you,” he mumbled. “Just..not right now.”

“Not right now,” Slade agreed. “Whenever you’re ready.”

……………………………………

Whenever Dick was ready turned out to be over a year later when Slade had long since forgotten about the conversation.

“Have you ever heard of The Court of Owls?”

Slade made a noise in the back of his throat so Dick would know he was listening before he bookmarked his page and glanced up.

“They’re a Gotham nursery rhyme to scare kids into behaving,” he replied. “Adeline used it on Grant when he was a kid.” he scowled. “It didn’t work well.”

“They’re not a nursery rhyme,” Dick said, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood before Slade. “They’re real.”

Slade hummed. “I see.”

“Do you remember when I said Bruce was keeping secrets from me about my own family?

_ No _ . “Of course.”

“Apparently my great grandfather on my dad’s side was... _ is _ their Talon. Their personal assassin,” Dick explained. “And the circus would raise kids before sending them off to The Court.”

Slade had a very bad idea of where this was going. “I see.”

“I was supposed to be their Gray Son, according to Bruce,” Dick went on. “Their replacement Talon.”

“But you’re not.”

“Only because my parents were killed.” Dick scowled. “Two more weeks and I would have been too. All the Talons are dead.”

“But you’re not.”

“But I’m not.”

“Is The Court looking for you?”

Dick scoffed. “Why look, apparently they’ve known exactly where I am at all fucking times.”

“But they haven’t come to claim you.”

“Not that Bruce told me.” Dick shrugged. “He thinks they’re waiting or some shit.”

“Waiting for what?”

“From what he heard and what he gained from some random Talon he caught, there’s something protecting me from them.” Dick’s eyes meeting Slade’s was all the answer he needed for what exactly was protecting the acrobat. “Something they don’t want to cross or deal with. Once it’s gone, then they’ll move in.”

“I see.” Slade shifted, a plan forming in his mind. “And what might this thing be?”

A small smile appeared on Dick’s face as he shook his head. “No idea.”

“Todd, perhaps.”

Dick snorted. “Yes,” he agreed sardonically. “I’m sure Jason is exactly the thing they don’t want to cross.”

“You never know,” Slade argued. “He is unstable.”

Dick snorted. “Right, yeah.” he thought for a minute before adding. “He’s like the Hulk.”

Slade snorted so hard he hurt himself.

……………………………..

For a secret organization that thrived on anonymity, The Court of Owls was laughably easy to find. I mean,  _ really _ , an owl etched into the walls of the sewers to lead anyone to their labyrinth? Seriously? It was amazing batman hadn’t found them yet.

Then again, apparently he  _ had _ and didn’t feel they were a big enough threat to deal with despite the fact that they’d been watching his eldest for some time.

If Dick ever died before Wayne, Slade wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet through the man’s head. Looking around at the blinding white of the Labyrinth, Slade turned and chose a path on the left.

Now, before you say ‘but Deathstroke, it’s a labyrinth designed to train Talons, you’ll never escape’. He knows. He’s not stupid, he did his research.

He also knows that the likelihood of coming across a Talon is much higher than finding an exit. But Slade has no intention of leaving quite yet. He will find The Court and he will ensure they know that if they lay even one hand on Dick Grayson, it will be the last thing they ever do.

…………………………………

“Trained assassins my ass,” Slade drawled as he sheathed his katana once more, gazing around at the headless corpses of the Talon’s that littered his feet.

“Just because you know a way to kill them permanently does not negate the fact that they are, in fact, trained assassins.”

Slade hummed, turning to face yet another Talon. Although there was something different about this one, on top of the fact that it spoke.

“You must be their head Talon.”

“And you are Deathstroke the Terminator.” The Talon tilted his head to the side. “You have something we want.”

“So I’ve heard,” Slade replied calmly. “Unfortunately, I have no intentions of sharing him.”

“The Gray Son belongs to us.”

“The Gray Son belongs to no one,” Slade returned firmly.

“It is his birthright.”

Slade sighed, unsheathing his katana once more, leveling it at the Talon as he declared,

“If killing you means he stays safe, don’t think I won’t do it.”

“Killing me will merely excelerate The Court’s plans,” Talon explained. “If I die, they will move in and take the Gray Son, regardless of whether or not you stand in their way.”

“I disagree,” Slade said calmly. 

“They figured as much,” Talon replied. “They want to speak with you.”

“Good. Because I want to speak to them.”

…………………………………………

“Deathstroke The Terminator. The Court of Owls has-”

“No power over myself or my husband,” Slade declared firmly as he stood in the center of the room, staring up at the masked cowards. “If you know Richard then you know me and you know I do not die so easily as others. Taking me down is not as simple to a knife to the throat. I will fight back and I will win.”

“Yes, we watched as you decimated our numbers amongst the labyrinth,” their leader - The Grandmaster, according to Wayne’s files that Slade may or may not have hacked into prior to his little trip - drawled. “We are impressed.”

“You like to give orders so badly, let’s see how you take them. You will not touch The Gray Son.”

“The Gray Son belongs to us.”

“The Gray Son belongs to  _ me _ ,” Slade snarled. “And if you come for him, I will not rest until every last one of you is dead or running.”

Silence fell and the longer it lingered, the more Slade sensed he would need to fight his way out. But just as he began reaching for his katana, The Grandmaster spoke.

“Very well. But know this, Deathstroke The Terminator. We will have our Gray Son. If it means waiting until you are no longer an obstacle, than so be it.”

“If you’re waiting until I’m gone, then good luck,” Slade replied. “I don’t die so easily.”

The Court did not reply.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't ask what the Hulk comment was supposed to mean, I can't remember any more
> 
> Let me know your thoughts!


End file.
